Electric switch.



H. KRUESHELD.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION mwnov. 11. m5.

1,205,549. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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. H. KRUESHELD.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, $915.

' 1,205,549. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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ATTORNEYS 62 25 w gi'ezm HENRY KRUESHELD, OF IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed November 11, 1915. Serial No. 60,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I, HENRY KRU'ESHELD, a citizen of the .United States, residing at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to electrical switches designed more especially for the purpose of making and breaking electrical circuits for lighting and extinguishing lamps; and, the present invention relates, more particularly, to a novel electric switch designed to be used upon an automobile for variously lighting or extinguishing the different lamps located at the rear, sides, or front of the vehicle, and for auto matically dimming the headlights without loss-0f power due to the use of resistance coils or othersimilar devices.

The present invention, therefore, has for its principal object to provide a novel and simply constructed electrical switch of the general character hereinafter more fully set forth, and comprising a rotary contact-establishing disk-like element for variously establishing electrical connections with the different circuits leading to and from the tail lamp, the side lamps, and the head lamps of a vehicle, as an automobile, or the like.

The invention has for its further object to provide an electric switch for use on automobiles which can be operated for automatically dimming the head lights of the vehicle, without loss of power due to the use of resistance coils, or other devices, the head lamps being automatically dimmed by'putting the two lamps in series when the rotary disk-like member of the switch is turned into a certain position, thereby giving the head lamps but one-quarter of the power consumed at full brightness of said lamps, and only one-half as much as would be required if the head lights were dimmed by inserting in series in the circuit, a resistor of the usual construction.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the present invention.

With the various objects of the said invent1on in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel electrical switch hereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the said devices and parts, all of which will be more fully described in the following speclficatlon and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the electric switch embodying the principles of the present invention, the tail light, the side lights and the head lights of an automobile, and also of an auxiliary lamp, hereinafter termed the instrument lamp, all in electrical circuit with a suitable source of electrical energy. Fig. 2 is a front face view of the electric switch and a face view of a fragmentary portion of part of the body of an automobile upon which the switch is secured, said view showing the face-plate of the switch provided with the various setting designations, and showing in connection with the face-plate and in its initial position, a disk-operating lever which serves the two-fold purpose of setting the contact-making and breaking disk of the the set relation of the disk. Fig. 3 is a front face view of the shell or casing inwhich the parts of the switch are disposed, the faceplate being omitted from said view, and

switch, and also as a pointer for indicating the disk-carrying spindle of the device being represented in transverse section. Figs. i and 5 are longitudinal vertical sectional representations of the shell of easing of the device, with the various circuit establishing elements represented in their operative positions within said shell or casing, said views showing the opposite faces of the said circuit-establishing elements; and Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of the said shell or casing, with the circuit-establishing elements therein shown in end elevation. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional representation taken on line 77 in said Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinalvertical section, taken on line 88 in said Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a bottom edge view of the contact-making and-breaking disk of the switch.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates any suitable portion of an automobile, or other fixture to which is attached by means of an arrangement of screws 2, or other suitable fastening means, my novel lighting switch, indicated generally by the reference-numeral 3. The said switch comprises a suitably-shaped shell or casing, as 4:, which is arranged upon one side of the member 1, and a suitably shaped faceplate, as 5, which is arranged upon the other side of said member 1, the parts being secured in their fixed assembled relation by means of the said screws 2 which are passed through the said face-plate 5, through the said member 1, and are screwed into the wall 6 of the said shell or casing l, substantially as indicated and as will be evident from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. In the present instance, the said shell or casing consists of the front wall 6, herein-above mentioned, the rear wall 7, and the connecting side wall 8, the shell or casing thus provided being left with an open portion, as 9.

As shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the front wall 6 is made with an opening 10, forming a bearing, and the rear wall '7 is made with a correspondingly located hole or opening, as 11, but. of greater diameter than that of the opening 10, to permit of the insertion and arrangement of a spindle with relation to the said shell or casing a, in the manner indicated in said Fig. 7. The said spindle consists, essentially of a squared portion 12, and cylindrical end-members 13 and 14:, the said member 13 being rotatably mounted in said bearing 10 and extending through corresponding openings in the member 1 and the face-plate 5. The other end-member 14L, as will be seen from said Fig. 7, is rotatably mounted in a corresponding bearing-portion 16, formed in a plate 15 which is secured upon the outer face of the said rear wall 7 by means of screws 17, or other suitable fastening means. Suitably mounted upon that portion of the cylindrical end-member 13 which extends from the front face of the said face-plate 5, by means of a socket-like portion 18 and a set-screw 19, or in any other suitable manner, is a lever or arm, as 20, which is formed with a finger-portion 21 for its manipulation, and has a pointed end, as 22, adapted to be brought into reading relation, with the various notations or words with which the said face-plate 5 is provided, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Mounted upon the previously-mentioned squared portion 12 of the spindle is the squared opening 2% formed in the hub-like portion 25 of a disk-like element or member 23, saidmember 23 being made of a material which is a non-conductor of electricity, such as hard or vulcanized rubber, fiber, or other analogous material. For the purposes of the present invention, the said disk has inserted in its opposite faces 26 and 27 metal plates, of copper, or other good conductors of electricity. As shown more particularly in Fig. a of the drawings, the said disk is provided in its face 26 and at its marginal edge-portion with the various suitably formed contact-establishing plates or elements 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32, the said plates and 32 being connected by means of an electrical connector-member, as 33, in the form of a wire or narrow strip, also inserted or inlayed in the face 26 of the said disk, and the plate 29 being formed with a rightangled contact-establishing plate-like portion, as 25), which is inserted or inlaid in the peripheral surface-portion of the said disk or member 23 for the purposes hereinafter more fully specified.

As shown more especially in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the disk or membe' 23 is provided in its face 27 and at its marginal edgeportion with the various suitably formed contact-establishing plates or elements 3 1, and 36, the plates 28 and 31 being located opposite each other and being electrically connected by a stud or pin 39, extending laterally through the intermediately disposed layer or portion of the disk or member 23, and the plate 36 being located opposite portions of the two plates 31 and 32, the said plates 31 and 36 being also electrically connected by a stud or pin &0 which extends laterally through the intermediately disposed layer or portion of the disk or member Referring now again to said Fig. 5 of the drawings, the plates 34: and are connected by means of an electrical connectormember, as 37, and the plates 35 and 36 are connected by means of an electrical connector-member 38, said members 37 and 38 being in form of wire or narrow strips which are likewise inserted or inlaid in the face 27 of the said disk or member 23.

Inserted in the open portion 9 of the shell or casing t and secured in a fixed position therein by means of screws ll, or otherwise, is a brush-block, as 42, also made of a material which is a non-conductor of electricity, such as hard or vulcanized rubber, fiber, or other analogous material. Suitably secured upon one of the faces of said block 4L2, preferably in the recessed portions 49, by means of screws 50, or otherwise suitably secured in fixed positions, are upwardly extending metal elements or members, as 43, i5 and 47, in the form of electric brushes or contactors, the elements as and 15 being formed at their upper ends with curved contact-making portions, as 51, and the element 47 being formed at its upper end with a suitably formed contact-making portion as 52, said portions 51 and 52 being adapted to be brought into sliding engagement or contact with the respective plates 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32. Suitably secured upon the other and opposite face of the said block 42, preferably in the recessed portions 53, by means of screws 54, or otherwise secured in fixed positions, are upwardly extending metal elements or members 44, 46 and 48, the elements or members 44 and 46 being in the form of electric brushes or contactors and being formed at their upper ends with curved contact making portions, as 55, which are adapted to be brought into sliding engagement or contact with the respective plates 34, 35 and 36. The said upwardly extending element or member 48 is provided, at a point directly above the upper surface of the block 42, with a laterally extending arm, as 56, secured upon said surface by means of a screw 57, or otherwise, and said arm 56 being provided with a spring-contact in the formof a finger 58, adapted to be brought into sliding contact or engagement with the right angled contact-establishing platelike portion 29 of the plate 29. As shown, the said spring-contact or finger 58 is also provided at a suit able point with an upwardly extending projection, as 60, adapted to be brought into registration and retaining engagement with any one of a series of peripherally disposed recesses or depressions 61 in the disk or member 23, or with any one of the recesses or depressions 62 with which the plate-like portion 29 of the plate 29 is provided, so that the rotation of the disk in either direction, may be intermittently arrested, as may be desired, according at which notation upon the indicating face-plate 5, the pointer 22 of the lever or arm is set. The said face-plate 5, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 of the drawings, is preferably of the general marginal configuration illustrated, the notations or words thereon being substantially the words shown; and said words being arranged in the manner indicated, and being spaced apart the proper distances so as to correspond to the spaced-apart arrangement of the abovementioned recesses or depressions 61 and 62. At their lower end-portions, the various brushes or contactors 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48 are provided with means, such as loops 63, for attachment thereto of the circuitwires of the electric lighting system.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference-character 64 indicates a suitable source of electrical energy, such as a storage battery, or the. compensating coil of a generator 65 and an amineter 66, indicated in dotted outline in said Fig. 1. The reference-numeral 67 indicates the usual tail-lamp, numerals 68 and 68 indicate the usual side lamps, the numerals 69 and 69* indicate the head lights, and the numeral 70 indicates what is known as the instrument lamp.

Leading from the terminal 71 of the source of electricity 64 is a circuit-wire 72, connected with the head light 69, said head light being placed in circuit with the brush or contactor 48 by means of the circuit-wire 7 3. Leading from the brush or contactor 44 is a circuit-wire 74 which is connected with the other head light 69", the circuit from said latter lamp with the terminal 71 of the source of electricity 64 being completed by means of the circuit-wire 75. A circuit-wire 76 connects the brush or contactor 47 with the circuit-wire 75, and acircui -wire 77 connects the brush or contactor 46 with the circuit-wire 72. Leading from the brush or contactor 43 is a circuit wire 7 S which is connected with a circuitwire. 79 having its respective ends connected with the respective side-lights 68 and 68; the lamp 68 being placed in circuit with the circuit-wire by means of a circuit wire 80, and the said side lamp 68 being also placed in circuit with said circuit-wire 75 by means of the circuit-wire 81 and a portion of the circuit-wire 80. Leading from the brush or contactor 45 is a circuit-wire 90 which is connected with a circuit-wire 91, attached at its respective ends to the tail light 67 and to the instrument lamp 70. The said tail light and said instrument lamp are also connected in circuit with the respective ends of a circuit-wire 92, and leading from a portion of said circuit-wire 92, between the said lamps 67 and '70, is a circuit-wire 93 attached at its other end to the said brush or contactor 47. The arrangement of the above-described circuitwires and the contact-plates of the switchdisk and said brushes or contactors is such, that the lever or arm 20 may be set in any one of seven different positions designated upon the face-plate 5, as follows z-first All lights off; second :Tail lamp lighted; third :T ail and side lamps lighted; fourth:Tail and head lamps lighted; fifth:Tail, side and head lamps lighted bright; sixth: Tail and side lights bright, with head lights dimmed; and lastly :Tail light bright, with head lights dimmed.

The instrument lamp, as will be evident from an inspection of said Fig. 1 of the drawings, is always lighted, except when all lights are turned oil, and the head lights are dimmed automatically by placing the two lamps in series as soon as the arm or lever 20 is turned to the last or seventh position.

Having in the foregoing described the general construction of switch design for use on automobiles for lighting or extinguishing the various lamps, and for automatically dimming the head lights without loss of power in resistance coils or other devices, it is not deemed necessary to further set forth the use and operation of the said switch in connection with the various electric circuits, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

I am fully aware that changes may be made in the general arrangements and combination of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification. Hence, I do not confine myself to the exact arrangements of the various arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. An electric switch of the character setforth, comprising a main shell or casing, a spindle rotatably mounted in said shell or casing, a face-plate hearing indicating notations, a lever mounted upon said spindle, said lever being provided with a pointer adapted to be brought into reading registration with said notations, a cylindrical disk mounted upon said spindle, contact-establishing metal plates inlaid in the opposite faces of said disk, circuit-establishing metal strips also inlaid in said disk and connecting some of said metal plates, a rightangled contact-establishing portion connected with one of said plates and inlaid in the peripheral surface-portion of said disk, a brush-block mounted within said shell or casing, said brush-block being a noneconductor of electricity, metallic brush-elements mounted upon the opposite faces of said block, the majority of said brush-elements extending upwardly within said shell or casing upon opposite sides of said disk and being provided with brush-like contacting end-portions in slidable engagement with the opposite faces of said disk and the metal plates inlaid in said faces, and a contactinaking spring-finger extending from another of said brush-elements beneath the peripheral surface-portion of said disk in slidable engagement with said peripheral surface-portion and the said right-angled contact-establishing plate-like portion.

2. An electric switch of the character set forth, comprising a main shell or casing, a spindle rotatably mounted in said shell or casing, a face-plate bearing indicating notations, a lever mounted upon said spindle, said lever being provided with a pointer adapted to be brought into reading registration with said notations, a cylindrical disk mounted upon said spindle, contact-establishing metal plates inlaid in the opposite faces of said disk, circuit-establishing metal strips also inlaid in said disk and connecting some of said metal plates, a right-angled contact-establishing portion connected with one of said plates and inlaid in the peripheral surface-portion of said disk, a brush-block mounted within said shell or casing, said brush-block being a non-conductor of electricity, metallic brush-elements mounted upon the opposite faces of said block, the majority of said brush-elements extending upwardly within said shell or casing upon opposite sides of said disk and being provided with brush-like contacting endportions in slidable engagement with the opposite faces of said disk and the metal plates inlaid in said faces, and a contact-making spring-finger extending from another of said brush-elements beneath the peripheral surface-portion of said disk in slidahle engagement with said peripheral surface-portion and the said right-angled contact-establishing plate-like portion, the said peripheral surface-portion of the disk and said rightangled contact-establishing plate-like portion being provided with a series of depressions, and a projection extending upwardly from said contact-making spring-finger for registration with said depressions to intermittently arrest the rotary movement of said disk.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of October, 1915.

HENRY KRUESHELD.

Vitnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, FnnDK. H. W. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

